On the top one, the horseman is sitting and playing with a beach ball. On the lower one, the soldier is somehow managing to hold on to his shield...
Fair is fair. I think you'll agree that your is much nicer: [IMG] Bronze As Rome mint, reign of Caligula Obv: M AGRIPPA L - F COS III Rev:...
Oh. And if you're embarrassed by your current Agrippa, I'd be happy to relieve you of your embarrassment!
Your understanding is correct. Usually you are just speeding up nature by exposing a bare surface to sulfur in one form or another. But sometimes...
Depends how it's done. Artificial patinas aren't necessarily bad. Sometimes, though, dealers just smear shoe polish or some such garbage to...
I wonder if there's some porosity that is being hidden by an artificial patina. I can't say this with any certainty just from a photo. But it's...
Tacitus [IMG] Billon Antoninianus Ticinum mint Obv: IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG Rev: CONSERVATOR MILITVM - Emperor, standing on left, with helmet in...
Is the patina real?
In case it's helpful, I'm uploading a photo of another coin with a better counter-stamp, along with a CU of the stamp, both right side-up and...
Looks legit to me. Stlye is right, and the details seem too crisp for it to be a cast copy. If it's a fake, it's a good one.
I've seen some as low as 2.8 g.
I don't think I've seen this Marius posted yet: [IMG] Bronze Antoninianus Gallic Empire, unidentified mint Obv: IMP C M AVR MARIVS AVG Rev: VIRTVS...
So you are saying that, what looks to me as "OP" at the beginning--two letters, is actually just a "PHI"--one letter? That could be the source of...
I think "in tribute" is a definite possibility. The conventional wisdom seems to be that these coins were made in imitation of Sassanian drachms,...
Yes. I believe it is concurrent with the two-captive type. It appears only from Thessalonica, which did not strike any with two captives.
I think I have this attribution correct: [IMG] Ancient Hunnic Silver Drachm 32 mm, 3.5g. "Phromo Kesaro" Hephthalites or Nezak Huns, ca. Mid 8th...
Yup. That's one butt-ugly portrait. Cool coin.
Where would you file a "Consecratio" coin? Claudius II Gothicus, for example--under Claudius II or Quintillius?
A chi-rho control mark? Wow, that was prescient.
There was no a lot of money to be made on solid silver coins. Most counterfeits are plated, underweight and/or debased. If it's good silver and...
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